The Curse of the Black Pearl Eleanor's Story
by Rowena-chan
Summary: AU. James Norrington has raised his sister since he was 15. Now, Eleanor is a vibrant young woman who has always loved and idolized pirates. When Elizabeth is kidnapped by the pirates, Eleanor joins Jack and Will to save her. Ties in Mei Ling for later.
1. Prologue

(A/N: I don't own ANYTHING! Except Eleanor. And the plot line. Peace!)

Sea spray plastered Eleanor's red locks to her face and her neck. Her face was lit with excitement as the ship rocked up and down on the waves. Elizabeth's pirate song flitted down to where she stood now, but she paid it little attention, she was too interested in the foreboding fog. Elizabeth gasped and then Eleanor heard someone start chiding her about singing pirate songs. Eleanor smiled when her brother broke in, saving Elizabeth. That was James, he was always there to stand up for the weak, for Eleanor, and for anyone Eleanor cared for.

The morning was passing slowly; Eleanor wandered the deck, humming. "Eleanor." James' voice caused her to twirl around. "I wanted to remind you, once we get to Port Royal, you are to stay at the Governor's manor."

Eleanor nodded her red head. "Yes, sir." She muttered, giving James a huge smile. "Is Port Royal much different than London?"

James smiled at his sister and nodded his head. "Yes, Ella. Much different, but you will still be a lady of England." He cupped his sister's cheek with his hand and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Ella."

Eleanor's blue eyes shone in the fog, tears welling in them. "I love you too, Jamie." She took a deep breath and focused on trying not to cry.

James gave her a small smile and straightened up. "Go play with Miss Swann." He suggested lightly and then turned around. "Governor Swann."

Eleanor watched her brother stride away from her and sighed. She spun around and began to walk the deck of the ship. She couldn't find Elizabeth until suddenly Elizabeth shouted into the fog. "Look!! A boy! There's a boy in the water!"

Eleanor ran to the side of the ship. Her small, child size hands gripping the edge as she tried to look and find the boy. Men surrounded her everywhere, James yelled out orders to pull the boy aboard. Eleanor blinked; the boy was floating on a raft, or a crate of some kind. "Mary, Mother of God." Gibbs cursed nearby.

The men around her fell silent as the fog parted around a ship that was on fire. Eleanor gasped, watching it in horror. "Everybody's thinkin' it, I'm just sayin' it. Pirates." Gibbs stated in a hushed voice.

Governor Swann laughed in an uneven, nervous way. Eleanor watched as James and a few soldiers pulled the boy abroad. Elizabeth nudged Eleanor in the back. "Pirates." Elizabeth whispered the one word with so much excitement and passion that Eleanor understood her and agreed with her.

James stood over the men as they placed the boy on the ship and backed up. Eleanor watched as Elizabeth was charged with the boys' safety and then she slipped past all the madness, to the back of the boat. Her thoughts were running wild, pirates? She loved pirates, that was the one reason she and Elizabeth had become fast friends already. Eleanor stood aside as Elizabeth tended to the boy, men and James running around her. Eleanor made her way to the back of the ship and stood there, humming a pirate tune. The fog was thick, but it suddenly parted enough so much so that Eleanor swore she saw a black ship with black sails appear and then disappear. She gasped, closed her eyes.


	2. Ceremony

(A/N: I don't own Pirates, or Jack or Norrington (sadly). I own Eleanor Norrington, though, so you can't use her! Haha, peace out!)

* * *

A knock startled me out of my daydream. "Ella, dear? Are you decent?" James asked through my bedroom door.

I jumped up and grabbed my robe, pulling it over my nightgown, for decency. "Come in!" I managed, pulling my auburn locks from under the robe.

The door opened and James walked in, dressed in his best. It was his promotion ceremony. He was being dubbed, Commodore of the Royal Navy today. In his hand, I saw that he was carrying a box with a present for me inside it. The box was wrapped in a pale pink ribbon that was an intricate bow on top and I stared at it. "I have a gift for you, Ella." He held the box out to me.

I hesitantly walked forward, my hand outstretched to take the box from James. But he didn't let me have the box, he set it down on my bedside table and held a hand out to me, embracing me tightly. "James…" I mumbled against his shoulder. "James, I need to get dressed."

He let go of me and smiled as he motioned to the box. I reached for the pink bow and pulled one of the ends, unraveling a bow that must have taken an hour to produce. James then lifted the box lid, inside was a gorgeous, but completely goofy looking, gown that was a pale green color with frills and ribbons and lace everywhere. I blinked, staring at the dress as James lifted it from the box. It was the kind of dress that was popular in London, the kind that I hated.

The door opened behind James and the maids came in to help me get dressed. I was pushed and prodded behind my dressing shutters, where the maids pulled off my robe and my nightgown, put a corset on tight, hooped my waist, and then dressed me in five hundred petticoats and a gown. Finally, I was allowed to go out from behind the screen and show James that the money he had spent on a dress for me was well spent, although I hated it, it was beautiful.

James smiled as he looked at the dress on me. "Beautiful. The green complements your red hair wonderfully." The maids behind me began to make my bed up.

"Thank you." I blushed a deep red, almost as deep as my hair. One of the maids began to mess with the long, thick, auburn locks, pulling them up and into a bun, they would come out of it quickly and easily but that was the problem with having long hair and James wouldn't let me think about cutting it.

James smiled at me and then offered me an arm. "Let's get going now, Eleanor."

I smiled back at him and took his arm gratefully, toppling as I stepped forward in my high-heeled shoes. The walk down the stairs was quite hap hazardous, but James kept a firm grip on my arm despite my apparent struggle to keep balance. High-heels were hard, walking in them while wearing a corset and a hoop under about ten pounds of clothing was even harder. I would have traded the dress for a pair of breeches at any moment.

The ceremony was almost ready to begin when I stepped from the carriage and James embraced me quickly before he wandered away. He had to go get ready for his part in the ceremony; luckily, all I had to do in all of this mess was watch. However, watching must have been almost as painful as participating in the ceremony. It was hard enough to breathe in a corset; shallow breaths were something to get used to, but shallow breaths in the hot Caribbean sunlight were like a thousand years in hell. As I thought this, James' voice passed through my mind. iA punishment for Eve's sin./i James would say something like that if he could hear my thoughts, but I knew that and kept such ideas away from him. I loved him dearly and despised being reproached by him.

Suddenly, the area became more crowded and I saw the Swanns arrive. The chairs were filled with people of the upper class in Port Royal and the neighboring towns, there weren't many. I was delighted to see my brother walk down the procession of swords and be granted his new sword as Commodore Norrington. I fanned myself, trying hard to breath in the hot, humid air.

Finally! The ceremony ended and those around me stood up and began to wander off to mingle with the soldiers, each other, and my brother. But I beat them all to him; I ran up to him and threw my arms around his neck. "James!!"

James laughed and embraced me. He was normally so formal and rigid that this kind of affection would have been meet with a iRemember your manners, Eleanor/i. But today was different, today was his celebration of success, my celebration of what my brother had been trying to obtain for years. Today, he hugged me back. "How are you, Ella?" He asked, breathing into my red curls.

I smiled into his chest. "It's a bit hot out here for this dress." I murmured, knowing he would understand what I meant.

"You may leave, Ella." James told me what I had expected him to tell me. Of course I could leave if I wanted to, I just needed to let him know. He released his embrace and took a step back to smile at me, looking at the sight of me in my pale green dress, which was going to end in a second here.

"I love you, Jamie, I'll see you later!" I almost jumped with joy. Although I didn't because I was having a hard enough time breathing normally now. I walked to the carriage like a lady, although I was fighting the excitement the whole time. I wanted to run and leap. But before I could really do my tasks for the day, which I was excited about, I needed to change; so first it was back home.

We stopped in front of the house and I jumped out of the carriage…in a very ladylike way, and walked to my room. My maids were busy cleaning my room and emptying the dust from the fireplace. One of them left her duties of taking the rugs out to beat, to help undress me and put me in a lighter, without a corset or hoop, dress that was still proper.

My plans were to go out to town and do my chores. My chores, my only chore, consisted of purchasing the produce and bakery items for the cook of the family. James approved of my doing such a chore because it was reasonable for the lady of the house to purchase the more lovely of the foods for the house. So, I set out to do my chores, with my two bodyguards flanking me closely, James' idea, not my own. I personally hated being followed and wove in and out of large crowds as I walked, but I could never shake them for too long.

The party was still going on, or so I assumed until I saw a few men wearing red coats run past me, their rifles at the ready. I stumbled to a stop and looked around, the smithy was right here so I decided to go visit Will and see if he wanted some fruit or bread, I did this on occasion and James never noticed the extra money missing.

"Will?" I called knocking on the door and opening it. The smithy was dark and dusty, but familiar and somehow very homey. I let my hand slowly run over the rough wooden door before letting it drop to my side again. "Mr. Turner?" I tried again, trying the formal term. But nothing answered me.

I sighed and held the basket for my purchases up, the weight went missing and I knew that one of the men had taken it from me. I took that moment to move forward, walking between the round machinery that held the finished swords to the center beams, I wished to practice with the swords, but knew better. James hated the idea of a women being able to bear arms and fight, but I loved the idea of anything related to pirates, and so swords was something I had managed to learn with Will, the poor, orphan boy Elizabeth had spotted and saved that day on the ship coming from England.

"Miss Norrington," one of the men behind me called. "We need to leave now, there's something going on outside." I merely waved it off until the second man spoke up. "Really Miss, we need to leave."

"Fine." I grunted in a very unladylike way and began to walk to them. That was when both a gunshot and a snore ripped through the air and I gave a small shriek of fright and ducked, expecting to have been shot. After a moment I realized I was fine and followed the men out into the street. I turned to watch a group of red coated men run down an alley.

"Let's go to your manor, Miss Norrington." One said to me as I stared after the men.

"No!" I said, turning to look at the man again. "What's going on? I need to know that first!"

The man turned to me. "What? How, Miss?"

I shrugged, snatching my basket back. "Somehow! Ask the men who just ran by!" They looked at each other for a moment, debating. "NOW!" I shouted at them and they jumped to it, taking off after the group who weren't probably too far yet.

I laughed and turned to look at the smithy door again. "Wonder what's going on…" I mused aloud, slowly meandering forward.

"Miss, get inside your hom—" I was spun around to meet James, face to face and his sentence cut off abruptly. His face went a bit whiter than normal. I saw his jaw set after a moment of shock and then saw anger blaze behind his eyes.

"Ja-James?" I asked, my voice shaking. James angry was a very scary thing.

"Eleanor, get home, now." He growled at me, glaring at me with angry eyes.

I stumbled back a few steps. "James, I-I'm buying for the cook." I protested.

"Get home now, Eleanor, don't shame your brother on my celebration day!!"

"I'm not shaming you, James!"

"Commodore!"

I stopped short, "what?" I was shocked. He kept glaring at me, his eyes darting everywhere now. "Wha-what's going on, Commodore?" I mumbled, ashamed that I was being forced to call James by a title now.

"Pirate." He hissed and then grabbed my arm, "you will go home now or I will have you bodily escorted!!"

I stared at him in shock. "N-no. I-I'll go on my own." I squeezed my eyes shut tight; his hold on my arm was too tight for comfort.

James released his hold and pushed me in the direction of the manor. I continued to walk and didn't risk a look back until I was, at least, a block away already, and then I saw that James was disappearing around a corner. I stopped, dead in my tracks, a sword scraped on metal and I ran to hide behind a barrel, watching the spot I had just been standing in. A man stepped out from behind a metal statue of a blacksmith, put a sword in a hilt, and then ran into the smithy.

I gasped. Pirate!! A real, live, breathing pirate!! This was what I had always dreamed of. I was excited to see him, I was excited to follow him, but I paused as I began to step out from behind the barrel. Will was walking across the street and into the smithy, I gasped, he was going to find a pirate there, he hated pirates with a passion. I stood up to follow him but was pulled into a nearby pub by the barmaid; she offered me a free beer, which I decided was rude to deny. It was a mere distraction; she would probably announce what she had done to James later and get a small reward for such an act.

The next thing I knew, I had been in the pub for just half an hour before two men in red coats entered the pub and located me in an instant. "Miss Norrington, it's safe to go to the market now." One of them told me. I took a deep breath and finished my draft, I wasn't a drinker normally, but the beer still did very little to my feelings and vision.

"What happened?" I asked, setting my stein down and standing up. I had a bit of a wobble, but not much.

The littler one looked proud and announced. "We apprehended the pirate who threatened Miss Swann only minutes ago!"

I knew about a pirate, but it took me a moment to process what the man had truly said. "Wait. What? What about Miss Swann?"

The taller man blinked at my reaction and then answer my question. "Miss Swann was saved by the pirate and then when we had him captured, he threatened Miss Swann to get away and we just recaptured him."

I blanched. "Elizabeth?" I gasped in surprise. "Did you take him to the prison?"

"Yes, Miss, but your brother insisted you go to market and get home soon, he's going to be on duty tonight."

I nodded my head. "I'll go to market, but first we're going to pay Mr. Pirate a visit." I sauntered out of the bar and down the street. I loved pirates, but once I learned that one had threatened my friend, I was intent on the kill and torture of that pirate. With that, my heart felt heavy and I quickly headed to find and give my consent to his hanging.


	3. Intermission 1: Mei Ling

(A/N: This chapter was written by my dear friend from school, Vo-chan. She owns Mei-Ling, entirely. Other than Mei-Ling and Eleanor Norrington, Vo-chan and I own NOTHING!! Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack, Norrington, Elizabeth, etc, are all owned by Disney.)

Mei Ling sighed heavily as she walked through the port. People yelling and screaming in the Bazaar left them unaware of her. She swiftly glided down the narrow street picking up whatever her hands found on other people's personnel. She wasn't proud of having fast hands; she quietly reveled in it. It was just part of her job. She was able to leaved that blasted ship because the traders didn't want to spend as much as they did, so they always took the women with the fastest, slyest hands and set them loose into the city to steal gold and money from unsuspecting passersby. Sure, she had someone on her almost every minute, not allowing her to flee, but she continued on her merry way stealing everything she could.

Her reward?

Being left alone in one of the cleaner cells.

She would prove herself time and time again that she hated the dirty slums they called a cell and the fear of being attacked by one of the men.

Mei Ling held the side of her stomach as her rib cage ached from her last beating. She had pulled a man off of her cellmate and had bit him.

Her reward for such heroism?

A lashing.

Though it hurt, she didn't care. She came round a corner to meet with the same jerk that had given her that lovely beating and plopped her purse into his open hands.

"I did what I was told," She said in one of the better Asian accents.

She had practiced more then the other girls so that she could be understood by even the dumbest drunk without the blank expressions of the men looking back at her.

"Good girl," He said with a wicked grin on his face.

Yep, he was drunk. Mei Ling tried hard not to make a face as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"How about I reward you for being such a good girl?" He asked with that grin still plastered on his face.

"I no want your reward! I want the reward promised to me by the Capitan! Keep hands off your goods or you lower their value!" Mei Ling barked as she ripped away from the man's embrace.

She knew what she wanted and what she didn't, not like the other slaves. She had also paid attention when the Captain beat the men for raping the slaves.

"If you damage them, they cost less! What you have done will be taken out of your salary!" The Captain lectured to his dim-witted crew.

The man made a face as he let her go back out. Mei Ling was just glad to be away from him and searched for her next victim. She had found him as dipped her had quickly by his pants, cutting off the bag of gold round his waist and kept going. She knew this was the only way to survive in the hellhole know as the 'Lovely Maiden'.

She returned later that day to find one of the cleaner cells waiting for her near the Captain's quarters. That was the whole reason no one would bother the slaves near the Capitan, he would hear their cries of fear or pain, whichever came first. Mei Ling grabbed a bed and laid her head down. She wouldn't have to stay up half the night worrying about the men. She laid her head down and finally rested for the first time in several long weeks. Soon they would be at the right port and soon she was going to become some rich man's slave. Anything had to be better then this.

The next few days were normal; gruel was fed to them three times and the slaves just made do with the boredom. Mei Ling would sit there close to the bars and listen to the crew talking and telling their stories. She had picked up English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French this way since the Captain would switch out the more troublesome crewmembers at every stop. She listened intently this time as the traders were telling of the black pearl.

"The Black Pearl struck again," the ugly faced man whispered, "She destroyed another merchant ship. She's looking for sumething. But they say a young boy survived. He was saved by Mr. Norington; I've hear that Norington will be quite a promising commander."

Mei Ling rolled her eyes as she thought about a young man being anything but a pig. At least her Captain was a pig in her eyes. She moved to an inaccessible corner of the cell so no man could get to her by the bars and closed her eyes. Sleep had been a luxury since moving near the Captain's quarters and Mei Ling for one was enjoying it. She soon drifted off to sleep along with the motion of the waves.

In her sleep she remembered her simple life as her father's eldest daughter.

_"Mei Ling," The old man barked at a young six year old in Chinese, "I am getting old and since you have no brothers to take on my teachings, you will be taught. Your feet have been left unbinded so that you could learn your heritage."_

_Mei Ling, being only six, nodded to her father with a deep bow. She knew better then to defy him. He got up and motioned her to follow him into his 'forbidden' room. Mei Ling was hesitant at first, but then after he turned and glared at her, she followed him in. The room was filled with weapons and scrolls filled with information on poisons and the human anatomy. Mei Ling forced herself to not shake as her father handed he a sword._

_"You will learn the way of your family, Mei Ling, now fight!" He said as he began to attack._

Mei Ling jumped awake to the sound of the morning banging's on the dock. She slightly stretched as she stood and went about awakening the rest of the girls.

"Stay awake when the sun comes up so you do not get a beating," She told them in Chinese. The girls nodded since they knew she was right and began to murmur in their own tongue, as gruel once again was their meal. However, today was special since they may get lucky and leave the accursed boat to become a slave. Anything was better then the fear of being raped.

Mei Ling sighed as she combed her hand through her hair and smoothed down her rags of clothing to look somewhat presentable and even took half her water portion to clean her face slightly. She straightened her back and stood straight and graceful. The crewmembers were a little taken aback by her beauty but just barked for the chained up slaves to get in a line and follow him out. They all obeyed, but were careful to stay their distance as they left the ship and stood at the harbor to be auctioned off.

"I'll take that one," a lord said after inspecting Mei Ling, "She is the best of the lot and my wife wants her maids to be the best. I will give you 50 silver pieces for her."

"She is worth at least 75, sir." The captain said as he grabbed Mei Ling's face, "She is a really well mannered girl and one of the better looking."

"Not damaged either my lordship," Mei Ling added in her best English.

The lord seemed a bit surprised how well she spoke and nodded as he added the extra twenty-five pieces. Mei Ling almost cried of joy when the captain took his hands off her and would never touch her again.

"Do you have a name? Or do you even speak more then that sentence?" The lord asked as he pulled her along the harbor.

"It would be appropriate that I learn my master's name first your lordship. But I speak much better English then the other girls. I practiced. I am Mei Ling, your lordship." Mei Ling said as she gave a slight bow as she walked.

"I am Lord Wolfe. You will call me Master Wolfe and my wife, Mistress Wolfe. My daughters you will call Miss and my sons Master. Now I wish to purchase at least three more slaves, two of which need to be female, but one male please. Which ones are the best?"

"Shing, Xio Ying, and Shin Hon, those are the best qualified, Master Wolfe." Mei Ling said with a slight bow.

"Take me to them."

Mei Ling once again bowed as showed the man the three other Chinese slaves and even though he was skeptical about Shin Hon, Mei Ling reassured him.

"He is fast and is more then he seems. I have seen him pull a whole sail up by himself in a storm. He is also loyal to those who feed him and treat him well, Master Wolfe."

He nodded and paid for the three, who looked at Mei Ling in absolute gratitude. She just nodded as the four of them followed him to a couch and listened to him.

"Usually, servants do not travel in the carriage, but since there is about four of you, I must bring you into the carriage so we can get home faster. This is a treat, remember that."

"Yes Master Wolfe," Mei Ling said first and the other three servants followed suit.

"Good." He said with quite pleased expression on his face.

Mei Ling went first, followed by the other two girls and Shin Hon followed up the rear. Mei Ling, being as tired and relieved as she was, found the ride to be a pleasant ride. She was able to fall asleep faster then she had ever been able to and was able to get her first taste of good sleep in a very long time.

"She always watched for the men." Xio Ying said as she stoked the other girl's head, "She always kept the other girls safe."

"How old is she? She seems too young to be as mature as she is," Lord Wolfe asked.

"You need to ask Mei Ling, she understands English better then me. She even knows how to count. She will tell you." Xio Ying said in her heavy accent.

"Then I guess I must ask her when she awakens," Master Wolfe said with a smirk.

"Yes, she is smart. She as smart as English men on ship." Shing said with a vigorous nod, "She say she listen so she could learn! I try but could not get as good as Mei Ling."

"12…" Mei Ling muttered in her sleep, "I am twelve…"

"Even in her sleep she pays attention," Lord Wolfe muttered to himself as he once again looked at his find. She, he could tell, would be one of the greatest woman of all times if she was given the chance.


	4. Pirates

(A/N: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean, that's Disney or Jack Sparrow or James Norrington, sadly. I do, however, own Eleanor Norrington and my fellow writer and friend, Vo-chan, owns Mei Ling.)

* * *

On the way, I had managed to coax the name of the pirate from my guards. So, the moment I walked into the prison, I marched down the stairs and headed straight to the cell full of pirates waiting for their turn to the noose, which had always disturbed me, except for now when I was blinded by hatred at this one pirate. "SPARROW!! Jack Sparrow!" I barked out.

"Captain!"

I narrowed my blue eyes and turned my head, looking at the normally empty cell that now held a sole occupant. "Captain?" I harshly questioned, cornering the poor pirate as I walked from the other cell to stand in front on his. The other pirates craned their necks to stare at me, a young lady dressed in fine clothes who was barking angrily at a pirate. They probably didn't know who I was, but I'm sure they noticed from my clothing that I was of some importance. "Where's your crew?"

"Still in the market, Luv." The man was sitting in the far corner, shrouded in darkness. I couldn't see much of him except that he wore brownish-gray pants, brown boots that cut off at the knee, a brown vest tunic over a white shirt made of some very light material with long arms and a matching white sash made of the same material wrapped about his waist. His hat covered his face in even deeper shadows, but I saw the corner of his lips turn up in a small smile.

I couldn't help but laugh, the hatred coursing through my veins was still thick and I was seething. "I hope you hang for what you did to Elizabeth."

He lifted his head and looked at me, I could see the bottom half of his face and saw that he was now fully grinning. "I saved her life, she saved mine, Pet. It was a fair trade."

"Not when you threatened her!!"

"Why? Are you jealous that I threatened the governor's daughter and not you?" His voice mocked me and I gnashed my teeth together in anger and lurched for the cell door, but my guards had decided to restrain me now. The pirate shook his head and laughed, "temper, temper, my Lady."

"Miss Norrington, we need to get to the market." One of the guards decided to make up an excuse to get me away from this pirate that I wanted so desperately to kill.

I resisted them for a moment before I gave up and sighed. "Alright, let's go." We turned to head up the stairs but just before I began my ascent, I turned to look at the pirate once more. "I'll be there tomorrow to watch you hang, Sparrow, and I'll be happy when I watch."

One of the guards grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the prison quickly, he didn't say another word to me. Neither guard said a word the rest of the day, the market was pleasant but I was still angry with the pirate, although I started to calm down now, looking at the pears and apples that I was buying. The weather was now horrible and I hurried through my dealings at the market to get home and out of the gloomy atmosphere.

I waited for my brother's return, working on my cross-stitch while sitting in the kitchen and talking to the cook. Once he came home, I ran upstairs to wash my face and my hands and then ran back downstairs to greet him with a quick hug. "James, welcome home."

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Ella how was you day?" He asked, he didn't mention earlier when he had been so desperate for me to get home and out of harm's way, but I knew he was hinting at it now.

I shrugged, a very unladylike gesture. "It was fine, I went to the market and bought the cook some nice apples and pears."

James paused, his hands on my upper arms. "When I left you, did you go home like I told you?"

I blanched and then slowly shook my head. "No, I began to walk home, but I saw the pirate."

James lost all the color in his face. "What!?"

"I-I was hiding behind a barrel, I didn't want him to see me, James." I quickly qualified.

James paused. "Where were you when you saw him?"

"Just outside the Brown smithy. I heard something behind me and hid, that's when I saw him go into the smithy and took the moment to escape."

James nodded and pulled me close into an embrace. "I'm just glad your safe, Eleanor." He murmured into my red locks. I patted his back softly, reassuring him that I was still here. I was just fine.

After that, James and I ate dinner in relative silence, except for some small smattering of conversation he decided to ask me as we ate. After we had finished our dinner, James stood up and pulled his overcoat on, still using the ornamental one from his ceremony. I looked up at him, my blue eyes imploring him in unspoken words for his blessings tonight. "Sleep well, Eleanor. I will be with the Governor tonight."

I nodded my head and stood up, curtsying as James bowed to me and left the room, it was clear to me that our formality was now fully restored. James had always wanted to make me as happy as he could, but he believed in treating me like a lady as much as he could. He left and I sighed, walking back to my room where I was striped down to my chemise and left to myself in an empty room with nothing but a roaring, freshly stoked fire.

I settled down on my bed and opened a book that I was almost finished reading. I hated the life of a formal lady, but James tried his best to give it to me. Finally, I snapped the book closed and glanced around the room, taking in the shadows of my room and the sound of the ocean breaking on the sand only two hundred meters away from my balcony. That's when it hit me, I stood up and walked to the balcony, leaning against the railing and looking over at the dark sea. The waves were dark, the moon was just now beginning to hide behind some dark clouds, and I could taste the sea salt in the air.

Before I really knew what I was doing, I had removed my silk slippers and robe and began to climb over the railing of my balcony in nothing but my chemise. I quickly descended a nearby tree whose graceful branches thankfully brushed a little too close to my balcony. Then, I was running down the forested path to the coast, the dirt and sand felt great on my pampered, bare feet, making me remember when I would practice barefoot in the smithy with William.

I reached the sand and began to wander around, gathering the seashells I could spy in the sand. I did this until my throat tingled with thirst; so then I wandered into Port Royal, heading for a bar. But I never made it to the bar, I could see it, but I fell to the ground crying out and covering my ears, as a strange buzzing noise became a loud, familiar explosion.

People screamed, a building fell, and more buzzing sounds filled the air around me. I stood upright and looked around frantically, what was going on? James wouldn't let them do cannon practice this late at night, and definitely not pointed toward the town, he just wouldn't! I saw men and women and children run past me, many in their nightclothes just like me. That's when I saw them; pirates began to come into the town, their swords drawn as they began to terrorize my hometown. I was torn between my adoration of pirates and my love for my life and my town.

The explosions sounded, getting closer. I ran into the mess, heading away from the group, heading back to our manor, until something pulled on the back of my trailing chemise and I whirled around to see a pirate, hand clutched on my dress, menace me with a sword. I kicked blindly and pulled away. "Will!!"

I saw him run past me, his brow creased in shock at the pirates, he didn't stop, but glanced at me. "Get inside, Eleanor!"

"Help!!" A woman cried, corned by a man nearby, I ran over and pushed my out of the way, running into the wall, which stopped me. "Miss Nor-Norrington?" She gasped, surprised to see me, in nothing but a chemise, out in the middle of this mess.

I gasped in air and then pushed her forward, urging her to run, but the pirate stepped into her path before she could run. He laughed and came at us, cornering the both of us against a wall. My blood was spiking with unbelievably high levels of adrenaline and I wished now that I had a sword with me. He reached forward and grabbed for one of us, I didn't care to notice who he was after. My hand flashed as fast as lightening to grab the dagger I always had hidden in my bosom. The pirate's eyes opened wide in anticipation of what I might be doing, but I struck fast, stabbing him in the stomach and pulling the woman away. I was rounding a corner, when I was tossed aside by the explosion of a cannon. That's when the darkness consumed me, I couldn't feel anything, or see anything as the scene before me dimmed. Pirates besieged my town, my people.

_I was twelve years old as I walked beside a thirteen year old Elizabeth. We had wandered around Port Royal, unbeknownst by my brother or her father, but now we were heading up the long path back to the Governor's house. At our heels came a woman in strange clothing with long, black hair that was pulled up into a bun with sticks placed in it. Neither of us knew her, but she hurried past us, heading to the Governor's house like we were. But we never got there, Elizabeth was grabbed from behind and I heard her gasp in shock and stop walking. I turned in horror. "Elizabeth!" I gasped, a man grabbing my arms and holding me in place as I struggled to get to my friend, to help her._

_"Only need the one, kill the red head." A gruff voice said as Elizabeth began to squeal in pain, the man was pulling her hair._

_I struggled more now, for my own life. A man stepped out of the bushes, making the group three; he reached for his sword and approached me. "No!!" I yelled, trying to fight more._

_The man holding Elizabeth laughed, "why not, girlie?"_

_"My-my brother!" I gasped, the sword now too close, I was shaking._

_"Hey!!" The woman stood over a fourth man just up the road a bit, her foot on his still chest. "Let girls go, now."_

_The woman rolled her eyes and motioned to the man menacing me with the sword. I didn't see what happened next, but I knew I heard the woman hit the ground hard. "What about your brother!?" The man holding Elizabeth yelled at me._

_I shrank back in fear. "Nor-Norrington." I managed, my brother was a well known Admiral, promising enough to eventually become Commodore._

_The man smiled and the next thing I knew I felt a throbbing pain in the back of my skull. I rolled over and heard the chink of iron hitting iron. That's when I looked around, Elizabeth lay nearby, she had chains around her wrists and she was sitting up, glaring around the room as the odd looking lady sat and belabored her about what was happening. The room was dark._

_"You stupid girl, your father not be happy with me now you got caught and I was dragged into this." I was shocked at how oddly this woman spoke as well._

_"Eleanor!?" Elizabeth caught my attention as she threw herself on me as best she could._

_The woman shook her head. "You two, stay here and use this. Don't come out of the room for a while. I come back when done." Her accent was heavy and from some place I didn't know of, but she handed Elizabeth a key and just stood up. We blinked and stared after her, she slid out the door and closed it. Elizabeth unlocked her irons first and then mine, all the while we listened to the sound of fighting, curious to see what was going on. By the time I was free, as I rubbed my swollen, hurting wrists, the woman came back inside and shook her head. She didn't even look like a hair was out of place. "Stupid girl, your feet tied too."_

_"What!?" I wriggled around and reached for the ropes circling my ankles. That's when I realized I hadn't tried to stand up yet and neither had Elizabeth, as far as I could tell._

_The woman reached into her bosom, I opened my mouth to protest whatever it was she was going to do. "I always carry knife with me. Here," she pointed at her bosom, "here," thighs, "and here", her boot. She paused for a moment as she thought and turned her glowing honey colored eyes our direction with a glare, "Don't tell your guardians that. Or I will be out of job." We nodded hurriedly, of course we wouldn't. I made a note to myself to copy this woman's trick. Then she cut my ropes and moved to cut Elizabeth's ropes. By the time I got home, I found a small dagger and found a way to keep it in the front of my dress, which got much easier as I grew._


	5. Plans

Pain shot through my body, aching everywhere. I groaned, although I'm not sure if I was by anyone who would have heard me, but I know I groaned in pain. The blinding ache was an all-consuming pain but even through the pain I stayed as still and quiet as I could until the pain subsided and relocated to a particular spot, not something that ached from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. Finally, it did just that and I could feel the rest of my body, laying on something rough, that smelled lovely, like damp earth.

The pain still throbbed in the back of my head, but it wasn't enough to keep me from fluttering my eyelids in an attempt to wake up. It was odd, I was mentally awake, however, I had to fight to get my eyes open. Once I felt them part, the vision was bleary and I couldn't see more than blobs and shapes in various colors. But as time passed, the images became sharper, clearer, and the scents of earth around became more profound.

"Mary! Mary!" I heard some woman off in the distance crying out the name of her daughter, or sister, or mother, or friend. But after her cries reached my ears, so did the sound of the wind, the waves on the beach, the military men marching around, doors swinging on loose hinges, everything hit me all at once.

I blinked and pushed up, looking around the street that I was laying on. I was in only my chemise and it took a minute for me to remember that I had run away from home last night to collect shells on the beach, but there had been pirates. Pirates! I loved pirates and the idea that they had attacked my home last night was something I was barely able to deal with. I gasped and clutched my side, hugging myself in the sunlight. I had never been quite so immodest in public before.

"Miss El-Miss Norrington!" A voice called for me and I heard boots move against the gravel of the dirt on the ground, a sword clunk in its sheath, the man knelt beside me that was when I recognized him as Gillette. Gillette was a man under my brother's command, but he was also someone who had had his eye on me for many years, waiting for me to get old enough that he could ask James for my hand. I shrank back, wrapping my arms around my chest, I felt so exposed in front of this man on this street in my chemise.

"Gillette?" I asked, knowing full well that this was the man I was seeing, but I might as well play up the fact that I was in pain, on some random street, after a pirate attack.

"Yes, Miss Norrington. Your brother's been very worried about you." I felt his hands before I saw them, encircling my arms and pulling me up. I stood in front of him, much shorter than he was. "Follow me, Miss." He said, leading the way through the street littered with people who were now beginning to wake up, or else weren't because they were dead.

I followed closely, and continually tried, subtly, to wrench my hand from his grasp, although it didn't seem to work. Finally, we rounded a corner and I saw James sitting at a table surrounded by military men and the Governor.

"James!" I cried, now able to wrench free without trying to be polite and pretend I didn't mean to get away from the man. I ran up the small steps, around the table, and threw myself on my brother. "James!" I cried, tears now flowing freely down my chaffed and flushing cheeks.

"Ella!? Eleanor?" James asked, repositioning me so that he could look into my face. I wasn't crying because I had missed him, or even feared for his life, though, that's what he thought it was about. I was crying because I was trying to convince myself some pirates were bad but not all, well…that and the pain was really bad, it was almost blinding again. James cleared his throat and pulled out a handkerchief from one of his pockets. I took it and dabbed at my eyes. "What are you wearing, Eleanor?" James asked in a whisper, as if ashamed to have to ask me such a question in front of his inferiors and the Governor, his only superior, or, they might be equals, I didn't know.

I wiped my eyes and then took a deep, quivering breath, "nothing."

"I know that, but why?" He almost hissed now. What I was in was only my chemise, a light gown that a girl wore, always, I slept in it, bathed in it, it was under every dress I've ever worn. That was what was 'nothing', even though I was completely clothed and no one could see anything private under the chemise, heck, I was still able to conceal my dagger down my front in it.

"I-I was in bed reading when I heard the first explosion." I quickly made up a lie that was reasonable, leaving out the escaping down my balcony and walking to the beach for seashells. "I ran to my balcony to see what was going on and ran to warn the maids and them. When I came back, the pirates were at the door and I escaped out my balcony and ran to the town. I was knocked out or something."

James nodded his head, he had accepted my half-lie and was now making orders to Gillette to run to the manor and grab me a decent dress. I sighed, at least he wasn't mad at me, he was probably happier that I ran away from the pirates than if I'd stayed. Or so I thought. "Why did you run and not hide, Eleanor?" He spun back to me, Gillette left quickly.

I blanched, I hadn't thought that far ahead, damn it. "I thought that if I stayed, they'd know I was your sister and kidnap me." I argued, it was the first thing that came to mind and though it wasn't probably the most reasonable, they probably would've just killed me, it was logical.

"Why would they kidnap you, Eleanor? You're not a Lord or Governor's daughter."

"Commodore's sister. Only family to the Commodore of the British Royal Navy, James." I reminded him. "Isn't it strange that this attack happened last night, the same day of your promotion ceremony to Commodore." I was now pulling things out of thin air, but that was all right, because James was completely wrapped around my finger now in this intricate lie.

"Oh yeah." James murmured, so quietly that only I could hear him. He turned back to the Governor and sighed. "Still no sign of Elizabeth?" The Governor shook his head, a pained and worried look upon his face; he truly loved his daughter. "Would you please take care of Eleanor for me?"

"Yes." The Governor walked over to me and gently took me in his arms and led me to a chair in the back of the covered area where I could sit down. He made me tilt my head in odd ways, the pain increased and decreased with various positions, then he began to nurse my head ever so slightly and the pain decreased a bit, but not much. That was all he could do though, he wasn't schooled in medical ways, he was the Governor of Port Royal and nothing more.

Time passed a bit. I sat in the back of the space, in less pain than before but still trying to manage a splitting headache. That was when Will ran up to the upraised space, heading straight for James, an angry and strained look on his face and I knew something was up. Will was always calm, when he did get angry, it was something to worry about. "They've taken her! They've taken Elizabeth!"

"Elizabeth!" I jumped up, one of the military men stepped in front of me, as if trying to keep me from hysterics, or possibly to shield my immodesty from Will, but I doubt it.

James didn't even look up from the map he was leaning over. "Mr. Murtogg, remove this man."

"We have to hunt them down! We must save her!"

The Governor had been standing by me for the most part, facing away from Will and James the moment Elizabeth was brought up. Now, he spun around, pain and worry written on his face. "And where do you purpose we start? If you have any information concerning my daughter, please, share it!"

Murtogg, or Mullory, I always mixed those two up, spoke up then. "That, Jack Sparrow. He talked about the Black Pearl."

"Uh, mentioned it is more what he did." The other of those two spoke up.

"Ask him where it is! Make a deal with him, he can lead us to it!" Will's face was now twisted in an odd, crazed look and I took in a deep breath, waiting for James' response. Why wouldn't James go after them, if it would get Elizabeth back, I would go by myself and rescue her.

"No." I stared at James, horrified. Sure, I didn't like the pirate Will was referring to, but it was better to work with him than to not have my future sister-in-law and current best friend safe at home. "The pirates who invaded this fort left Sparrow locked in his cell, ergo, they are not his allies." He turned, then, to speak to the Governor at my side. "Governor, we will establish their most likely course and…" I wasn't paying attention to James anymore; no, I was staring in wonder at the play of horror, anger, frustration, and hatred on William's face. My own anger beginning to boil.

The hatchet swung and stuck into the table that lay beneath the map James had been looking at. I jumped because I hadn't expected Will to do anything like that. "That's not good enough!" He screamed at James.

I reacted too, as soon as I saw Will swinging the hatchet back, I reached into my chemise and grabbed my dagger. I stabbed it, hard and deep, into the table beneath the map.

James pulled the hatchet out of the map and shot a glare in my direction. "Eleanor, where'd you get that weapon?"

I shrank back and gave a quick, frightened smile as I set to pulling the dagger from the table. "No-nowhere." I said, hiding it behind my back. James turned away from me after a moment, the hatchet in his hand brought his mind to other pressing matters than just dealing with his little sister who apparently owned a dagger. The moment he had his back to me I slid the dagger back into its sheath, pretending like I was putting it under the chair I had been sitting on.

"Mr. Turner." He strode around the table, bee-lining for Will. "You are not a military man, you are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith." He pushed Will away from the table, me, the Governor, and faced him to the road. "This is not the time for rash actions." Then he dropped his voice, but I could still hear him, and the pain that lay well concealed in his voice. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth." He dropped his hold on Will's arm and strode back to the map. Calling to the Governor.

I stared after Will's retreating figure. I knew just where he was going and I wanted nothing more but to join him. "James." I said, he stopped mid sentence and turned to listen to me. "I'm starved, is it alright if I head back to the manor and get some luncheon?"

"Oh, well…yes, of course, Ella. I had forgotten entirely about food. I haven't eaten since dinner, but I'm at work, just have the cook make a little something for me." I nodded my head and began to walk off, trying not to look like I was following William too closely. "Oh, Eleanor!" I stopped dead in my tracks, had he noticed? "Follow Gillette and change before you head home, please. I'd prefer you to dress like a lady."

"Yes James." I said and turned to follow that vile man, Gillette, to my brother's office.

There, Gillette handed me a nice dress, without a corset, thankfully. "This will look nice on you."

I smiled and tried to make myself blush politely at the compliment. "Thank you, sir." I murmured and then took the dress from him. I walked to the corner of the room, stared at him until he took a hint (which was far longer than it should have taken anyone) and then pulled the dress over my chemise. I adjusted it quickly and then walked to the door, sadly it was just behind him and therefore caught his attention as I tried to slip out.

"My lady, you look stunning in that dress." I tried to hide a groan as I turned my head to look over my shoulder at Gillette. "Thank you, sir. Good day." I was out of there as fast as I could walk. My red locks bounced against my back as I hurried away from James' office and made a long swoop to the prison.

It was dark and dank in the prison but I walked down the stairs and looked around. Nothing, no noise, no person, no pirate. I rolled my eyes and groaned in frustration. As I turned to leave, I caught sight of the fallen prison door. That made me stop. I approached it and knelt beside it, looking at it in speculation. Someone had helped the pirate. I smirked, if all else failed, I could blackmail Will into letting me tag along. Now all I had to do was find them.

I began to walk to the manor, watching the people pick up and clean the streets after the invasion. In my mind, I was trying to figure it all out, and it was working fairly well.

Will loves Elizabeth. Pirates kidnap Elizabeth. Will freed pirate. The worse pirates are at sea. Bad pirate and Will need to get to them. Will needs a ship. A fast ship. Will needs a fast, prepared ship.

I smirked as I walked into the kitchen and began to tell the cook what I wanted for lunch. I knew just what Will was going to need, just what the pirate would lead him to do.

Later, James walked into the kitchen as I sat there reading. I looked over my book at him; he ate fast and then began to stuff things into a sack. "What's going on, James?" I asked him, playing innocent when I really knew.

"The men and I are going out to sea, we'll find Elizabeth and save her. In the meantime, you are going to stay here and rule over the house in my stead." James mumbled around his food.

I nodded my head. "Alright, but, are you leaving right away?"

"No, there's a lot to get ready on the Interceptor, it will be her maiden voyage. Why?"

"Well, because you'll be gone for a while, is it alright if I come sit aboard and read. I would like to enjoy my time in proximity with you as much as I can. You can kick me off before you take off." I quickly and calmly stated.

James narrowed his eyes but then nodded. "Alright, but when it's time to go, you will leave quickly?"

"Oh, of course."

James smiled. "Alright, Ella. I'll be glad to have you around to say goodbye to when we take off."

I smiled, following him to the ship minutes later to nestle myself in the Captain's Quarters to read. My plan was working perfectly.


	6. Tortuga?

Hey guys! I'm SO sorry for the delay in getting this one up! I won't be very quick in updating for November, but I do plan on updating still, so keep your fingers crossed that school and National Novel Writing Month won't kill me by themselves. WOOT!! Let's get back to Eleanor now, and of course we all know that I only own Eleanor, the other characters and the basic plotline, although I twist in a bit, belong to Disney and others. Mei Ling, belongs to my friend Volleys-chan! Go check out her fanfictions on here!

* * *

I sat myself in the Captain's Quarters and began to read. I had to be painfully quiet. There was no chance for error, if James or one of his men heard me in the cabin, they would kick me off before they took off after Will and Jack. Why would they bring me along when they were going to have to seize a pirate? James would probably kill me if I did manage to go along and then was found out about. So I secretly prayed that Will was doing what I thought he was doing.

As I sat there, reading, I heard some shouting outside and the sound of men running. I held my breath and tiptoed to the cabin's window that looked out to the sea. No one seemed to notice that a lady had come aboard, more or less, did they happen to see me in the porthole. I could see the Dauntless, out in the harbor, a small boat floating away from it held Gillette and some other men who were shouting. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I almost gave myself away with a happy, gleeful shout, which I somehow managed to stop.

I felt the ship begin to move under me, I ducked so that if someone walked by the porthole, they wouldn't see me, but I stayed near it. My book hung limply at my side, I waited and watched as the scenery changed just out of my porthole, I could see the whole of Port Royal, after the attack the night before, I noticed how awful it looked from here. It didn't take long to pull up beside the other ship, I heard the planks scrap against the banisters as they were laid out and men thundered across them.

I thanked my lucky stars and backed away from the porthole. I stayed silent and listened to what was going on above me. At first, nothing happened until I felt the ship begin to move again and I heard James shout something I couldn't quite understand stuck inside this room. I smirked; I had managed to accomplish my goal. I sauntered back to the table and my seat and began to read again, I would walk outside the cabin when I had finished one chapter and hopefully we would be far enough out that Will wouldn't push me overboard and expect me to swim back.

* * *

James looked around in anticipation at capturing a pirate and a criminal to the social peace. But his face fell. Will and Jack were gone. The Interceptor began to move away from the Dauntless. "Sailors! Back to the Interceptor! NOW!" James screamed. A sailor gabbed one of the ropes and swung out, however, when he let go he plunged into the harbor with a splash.

"Thank you, Commodore, for helping us make way! We'd have had a hard time with it by ourselves." Jack yelled back to the crew on the Dauntless, waving his hat in the air.

"Set topsails and clear up this mess!" James barked orders to the man following him.

"But the wind calls for a stern, sir. We won't catch them!"

James stared forward, focused. "I don't need to catch them, just get them in range of the long nines."

James stopped and leaned against the railing at the top of the stairs, the man followed suit. "We are to fire on our own ship, sir?"

"I'd rather see her at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate." James replied, glaring ahead.

"Commodore!" One of the men called, alerting the Commodore of the disabled rudder chains.

James let out a long, exasperated sigh. The man beside him smiled and stared after the ship. "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen."

"So it would seem." James replied, standing upright and turning to bark out more orders.

"Commodore!" James turned to look at the man now. "Wasn't Miss Norrington on that ship, sir?"

James' eyes grew big and he fought to keep his face from falling. "Eleanor…" He whispered, staring after the Interceptor for a moment. "Men! Let's get these chains fixed, now!"

* * *

I stood up and closed the book with a resounding snap. I padded to the door and opened it, after taking a deep breath. The scene I beheld as I stepped out of the cabin was that of Will lying on the deck, looking up at the pirate who was standing over him holding a sword. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" He demanded of Will.

I took the moment to make my grand entrance, all right, well, not so grand, but witty. "A pirate, yes. However, we'll have to wait and see about you."

Jack's head snapped in my direction and Will's followed. "Eleanor!" He scrambled to his feet and stared at me.

"Eleanor!?" Jack asked, not because he knew me, but because he didn't.

"H-how'd you get here?!" Will demanded of me.

I shrugged and glanced at Jack with the quickest look before replying. "Sea turtles, Will."

Jack began to laugh behind Will, whose face was screwed up in confusion. He didn't respond, so I went on. "What is it Will? You thought I would let you save Elizabeth on your own? You and this pirate here would probably get yourselves murdered without a woman with you." I countered, glaring at him, my arms crossing over my chest to hug myself in defiance.

"Eleanor! Your brother—" Will started but I finished the sentence for him.

"Will have more incentive to come out and save Elizabeth now that he doesn't know if I'm in danger as well." I smirked

Will shook his head, stomping over to me. "No! You're jumping overboard or I'll push you over." He threatened, his face red with anger.

I smiled more. "You can't do that, you know this dress would just drag me down to the bottom of the locker and if I swam back in just a chemise, James would be furious at me and might just kill me himself." I paused for effect and then started again. "Then! He'd come after you."

Will's face got redder and redder as he realized how I was defeating all his attempts to save me from the pirate he was working with.

"Well, pet," I looked up and glared at Jack, "let's get going to Tortuga now." I nodded my head in gleeful triumph.

Will caught my arm as I began forward, my hands reaching to pull the wretched dress off of me. "Ella," I turned to face him, "please don't do this. I know what you are beginning to walk down. Think about your brother."

"I will see James again someday. And when I do, I'll probably be glad to give up the life at sea rescuing fair maidens, such as Elizabeth." I countered.

He shook his head; his brown eyes were steady and solemn as he gave me one last word. "Don't lose yourself to piracy, Ella."

"I won't lose myself to it, Will, I'm finding myself, becoming who I've always been dying to be," without a moment's hesitation.

He turned and walked to tie up some of the ropes at the other end of the ship, probably trying to get away from me now. "Pet." I turned around, face red with anger at the pet name from the despicable pirate. "Can ye get them ropes tied up?" He pointed at the ropes lying near my feet with an exaggerated motion and I knew he was drunk, or maybe it was a permanent state of acting drunk because he drank too much alcohol. But either way, I finished ripping my dress off, leaving it lying on the deck as I bent to tie the ropes. It would take the rest of the day to get to Tortuga.

* * *

Night had already set when we began to enter the harbor Jack said Tortuga was in. I helped Will in bringing up the sails and putting out the planks, things Will tried to push me away from and do himself. Then Jack sauntered to us in his clumsy, drunken state of walking and we left the ship moored at the docks of Tortuga. The sky was dark but there were lights in windows and hanging from overhangs that lit up the streets. I stayed near Will and Jack in an attempt not to get noticed by the mangy, scoundrels that were pirate men, with their lust and bad intentions that I loved them for, but didn't want directed at me.

Jack began to describe Tortuga to Will, all of it's wonders and pleasures, I had tuned him out until I saw that we had entered a street where there were even more lights now and a man drinking huge amounts of beer just behind us. "If every place in the world were like this one, Mate. No man would ever feel unwanted." Jack had announced, his gaze off along the street. I saw his gaze flash from just looking to actually recognizing something and I looked up to see a woman in a red, frilly gown walk over to us. "Scarlett!" Jack announced, throwing his arms open wide. She flounced up to him, his arms open wide, and smacked him hard across the cheek.

Will gently and silently slid his hand over mine, pulling me closer, so that I wouldn't be suspected as a prostitute. Jack grabbed his cheek and eyed Will. "Not sure I deserved that."

I lifted an eyebrow, thinking of the witty response I was going to say when I saw another woman walk over to us, she was also dolled up. "Giselle!" Jack called, waltzing his way to her side, but when he came into earshot she surprised him.

"Who was she?" She asked, eyes darting to follow the Scarlett woman walking away from us, almost out of sight now. When I turned back around, she had struck Jack across the cheek and he was holding it in pain as she flounced off.

I put my hand to my mouth, trying to stifle my giggle. Will leaned in to hear Jack say, "I might have deserved that."

I couldn't help it anymore and actually laughed aloud. "Darn right you did, CAPTAIN." I mocked his title as I told him this. "Two women in the same town? And to think, they must be crazy to go for ugly, old, drunken you." I insulted.

He glared back, "What are you talking about mate? The women love me!"

I laughed. "Yeah, how drunk did you get them first?" I countered.

Jack didn't answer but began to lead us again down the streets of Tortuga. I was pulled along, close to Will's side. I silently praised myself for being able to outwit a pirate, even one masquerading as the infamous Jack Sparrow.

When we walked down a dark alleyway, I began to wonder if this supposed Jack Sparrow was going to turn on us and kill us here and now, but my thoughts passed quickly. Jack smirked and stopped, I heard a deep snoring and looked over to see that some man covered in dirt and mud was lying on the ground where some pigs were wandering around him. Will left me standing by myself and it took me a moment to realize this. By the time I did, I jumped and looked all around me until I found Jack and Will scooping water into two pails.

I watched as the two shouldered past me, but Will stayed close to me. I was starting to get annoyed with how he was treating me now. But my attention and anger was diverted when Jack hurled the water from his pail onto the sleeping, muddy man.

I grimaced and took a small step back; the water had stirred the stink from the mud and pigs into the air. It was bad. "Curse you fer breathin' ya slack jawed idiot!!" I almost laughed when the man I saw before me, covered in mud, stinking, angry, and holding out a small dagger at us.

Jack smiled at him and offered him a hand. "Mother's love, Jack! Don't ya know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin'? It's bad luck."

"Ah, but I know how to fix that. The man who did the…" I began to tune Jack out again he was really annoying now. I wanted to see who the man was, he sounded very familiar but in the dim lighting I had no idea who he was.

Will moved then, Jack and the man had begun to walk forward. He flung his bucket of water at the man. "Blast! I'm already awake!!!"

"That was for the smell." Will replied and I thought that would cause some kind of fight, but the man didn't move and I assumed that he shrugged, at least I thought I saw his outline shrug.

We then walked down the alleyway and I stayed in the back, following the three men in silence. Once we made it to the well-lit streets, I laughed aloud. "Mister Gibbs!?"

The men turned around to look at me. I stood there, probably looking way too scandalous for my own good. I wore nothing but my pale white chemise, now smudged here and there with dirt and grease from the day of sailing, and my hair was a wild mass of waves hanging down to my hips, which had been very difficult to manage throughout the day. Gibbs looked at me for a moment and it took a while for him to understand who I was. "Eleanor?" He asked, and it was just that, a question.

I smiled. "Gibbs! I thought you hated pirates and here you are, talking to one in a town full of them!"

Gibbs nodded his head. "Aye, some ain't as bad as I used ta think."

I nodded my own head. "I see."

"Wot 'bout yer brother? Why're you here?"

I gulped. "James still hates pirates. I'm here with Will. He wants to save Elizabeth and so do I. This bad excuse for a pirate with us is wanted by my brother and James will probably kill him someday."

Jack's face fell. "Wot!?"

"What? It's not like I have any say in it, you're a pirate, James is the Commodore, he's bound to hunt you down and hang you." I walked past the group and waited just a bit ahead of them. Then the four of us wandered into one of the many bars.


End file.
